Out of an abundance of caution, Sarasota County is calling for the evacuation of Level A on Tuesday, Aug. 29. This includes vessels, RVs, mobile and manufactured homes. 

PLEASE NOTE UPDATED LINK: Learn your level here. 

All general population evacuation centers will be open beginning at 8 a.m. Find more information including what to bring here. 

To view the latest press conference from the Emergency Operations Center, click here. 

Here are some tips if you're sheltering in place.

• Sarasota County Government: All offices will close today, Aug. 28, at 1 p.m. All offices will be closed Tuesday, Aug. 29, and Wednesday, Aug. 30.

• The regular Sarasota County Commission meetings for Aug. 29 and 30 will be rescheduled.
• Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources will be cancelling reservations for county facilities through Wednesday, Aug. 30.
• Sarasota County public libraries will be closed through Wednesday, Aug. 30.
• PLEASE NOTE TIME CHANGE. Sandbag operations will take place from 2-7 p.m. today, Aug. 28, and from 8 a.m. to noon. Tuesday, Aug. 29. Locations for both days follows:

• Ed Smith Stadium, 2700 12th St., Sarasota.
• Twin Lakes Park, 6700 Clark Road, Sarasota.
• South County Fleet, 4571 SR 776/Englewood Road, Venice.

• Limit 10 sandbags per vehicle. Shovels and bags will be available onsite. Changes in weather patterns may impact sandbag operation times.

• City of Sarasota: No office closures have been announced.

• City of North Port: No office closures have been announced. The City of North Port has opened a self-serve sandbag station starting at 10 a.m. today, Aug. 28 at the Larry Thoennissen Athletic Fields behind the George Mullen Activity Center (1602 Kramer Way) at the end of City Center Boulevard. Bags, sand and shovels will be provided, with a limit of 10 bags per vehicle. 

• Town of Longboat: No office closures have been announced. Self-serve sandbag operations are staffed at the Broadway Beach Access.

• City of Venice: City Hall and other city buildings are operating normal hours today, Aug. 28. Humphries Park and the South Jetty will be closed Tuesday, Aug. 29.
• Sandbags: Sand is available on a first-come, first-served basis at Wellfield Park, 1400 Lucaya Ave., Venice. Bags can be picked up at the Public Works building, 1350 Ridgewood Ave., City Hall, 401 W. Venice Ave., or bring your own bag. This is self-service, shovels will be provided. Limit 10 bags per household.
• Trash and recycling: Regular collection of trash, recycling and yard waste on Tuesday, Aug. 29. Have items at the curb by 7 a.m.. No collection Wednesday, Aug. 30.

• Property Appraiser: Closed on Tuesday, Aug. 29, and Wednesday, Aug. 30, Normal operations will resume on Thursday. 

• Tax Collector: Closed Tuesday, Aug. 29, and Wednesday, Aug. 30. Please check www.SarsaotaTaxCollector.com for service updates. 

There are no changes to today's Sarasota County trash and recycling pickup. Stay tuned for further updates in the coming days.

Out of an abundance of caution and due to the latest track of Tropical Storm Idalia, traditional public schools will be closed on Tuesday, Aug. 29 and Wednesday, Aug. 30, in order to function as evacuation centers. If your child is enrolled at a charter school, please check directly with your school for updates on closures. All after-school activities on Monday, Aug. 28, will take place as scheduled.

Updates will be sent out and posted at www.sarasotacountyschools.net/hurricane with all school-related information as it becomes available for the remainder of the week.

Sign up for emergency notifications by registering for Alert Sarasota County, Sarasota County’s mass notification system for rapid emergency updates. This service sends alerts via phone, text and/or email, depending on user preference.

Opt-in for alert subscriptions offered by the county or your local municipality:

• Alert Sarasota County – Sarasota County (unincorporated).
• Alert Sarasota County – City of Sarasota.
• Alert Sarasota County – City of North Port. 
• Alert Sarasota County – City of Venice.
• Alert Sarasota County – Town of Longboat Key.

Download the free Everbridge mobile app to see all public notifications issued through the Everbridge alert system.